


Somewhere Fun

by kickcows



Series: XVtober 2020 [17]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Feels, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Feels and Smut, First Time, Love Confessions, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:29:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows
Summary: It takes a summer break for two people to recognize their feelings for one another. Feelings that will continue for a lifetime, and show what true love is all about - both in good times and in bad.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: XVtober 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948429
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Somewhere Fun

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my next offering for XVtober! :) Please enjoy!
> 
> Prompt: Summer's End

* * *

“Are you saying no?” Gladio asked, staring past the shoulder of the beautiful girl he was talking to. “It’s okay if you are. I’d appreciate it if you gave me an honest answer, though.” He pushed his hand into his pocket, his heart hammering hard against his rib cage. 

He could see her nod her head yes, which made his stomach pitch. “I’m sorry. It’s not...It’s not that I don’t find you attractive! It’s just...well, you know….” 

“I’m afraid that I don’t.” It was the same excuse he had heard so many times now that maybe he should remember, but he didn’t. “Anyway, thanks for letting me try and ask you. Have a good summer, okay?” 

“Gladio, I’m-” He didn’t bother sticking around, not really wanting to hear her flounder or give him any more excuses. It didn’t matter. He had tried to ask her out, and had been respectfully rejected. The least she could do was allow him this humiliation so that he could go and nurse his wounds on his own. 

Walking out of the school for the last time that semester, he looked at the foot of the stairs and saw his best friend was waiting for him. “Well?” Ignis Scientia, who he had been introduced to him ten years ago when he’d been informed that he would be the future King’s right hand man, adjusted his glasses and looked up at him. “How did it go?” 

“Awful.” Gladio kicked a rock as they started to head to the station that would take them to the Citadel. “She said no. Tried to give me an excuse. I don’t know why I bothered.” 

“Because you would have regretted it if you didn’t.” Ignis put a hand on his shoulder, Gladio grateful for the comforting touch as he put his hand over his. “I’m proud of you for having the courage to do it. You knew she was going to say no, and you still did it. That proves to me that you are braver than you think.” 

He rolled his eyes, a choked out laugh leaving his throat as he held onto Ignis’ hand with a little more strength than necessary. “You’re too kind, Specs. Really. It’s dumb and stupid, and not something that I’m really interested in hearing, but I appreciate it.” He took his hand away as they started to walk down the stairs to get to their train. “Spar with me when we get to the Citadel?” 

“I can’t.” He watched Ignis adjust the bookbag he was carrying on his shoulder as they stood a few feet behind the line closest to the tracks. “I’ve got a meeting that I have to attend. In fact, if the train isn’t here soon, I might try and take a cab.” 

“Be late.” Reaching for Ignis’ hand, he held onto it, not caring if others looked at them weird. Over the last few months, they’d grown to be more affectionate with one another through casual touches and the like. It might have been because of their sparring sessions, or it might have been because of something else. If it was something else, Gladio was choosing to ignore it because that was a necessity. If he thought about it, he would be driven mad because it was something that he knew could never be a reality - not for the two of them. “Please? Don’t leave me. My heart just got broken, Ignis.” 

“You are pathetic.” Ignis sighed, but then gave a nod of his head. “Fine. I won’t go and get a cab. Although nothing is stopping you from joining me. You know you don’t have to take the subway.” 

“I like taking it.” He was going to say more but then a gust of warm air blew at them from the tunnel. “Looks like the train is here early.” Gladio grinned, happy that they weren’t going to have to go back up topside. “Hey - I forgot to ask, do you have any fun plans for the break?” 

“If by fun you mean spending ten hours a day at the Citadel, then yes. My plans for the break are going to be so full of fun I won’t know what to do with myself.” 

Gladio burst out laughing, throwing his arm around his shoulder as the doors opened up on the subway. “You’re hilarious, Ignis. Come on, your break sounds about as good as mine is going to be.” 

“Oh?” They stood close to each other, the train fairly packed for this time of day. Ignis looked up at him, and Gladio could feel his stomach beginning to churn as he stared into his eyes. “Are your plans the same as mine?” 

“Considering we are the future retainers for one bratty Prince, I would say yes. We have the same plans.” He held onto the bar, dropping his arm that had still been around Ignis’ shoulder and put it around his waist. “Our days at the Citadel will be longer than our days at school.” 

“Does it ever make you upset?” Ignis asked, the question spoken so quietly that Gladio wasn’t sure if he heard it correctly. “Knowing that our lives aren’t our own?” 

“Sometimes.” Gladio shrugged his shoulder, the train pitching a little to the left. He held Ignis a bit tighter as they both moved with the train, his heart jumping for a quick second with how close they stood to one another. “But, if my father can do it, then so can I.” He took pride that he was going to be offering the same service to the Prince in some capacity. Maybe not as close as his father was to the King, but who knew - anything could change. 

“You’re lucky. You always knew you were going to be doing this.” He gave another shrug of his shoulder as Ignis looked out towards the window. “I’m not sure what I wanted to be when I grew up - but since I wasn’t given a choice, I suppose it doesn’t matter.” 

“You like helping Noct, though.” Ignis had been taking care of the Prince, especially as of late when the Prince had moved to an apartment close to his high school. “He needs you. Or, you’ve made it so he needs you.” 

“Does it really matter which?” A long sigh left Ignis’ mouth. “I’m tired. Let’s go somewhere fun.” 

He laughed, and shook his head. “Ignis, you know we can’t do that. We have to head to the Citadel. We’ve got obligations.” 

“Don’t you sometimes wish that we didn’t?” 

Gladio lowered his head, and saw that Ignis was staring up at him with a look in his eyes that made his stomach pitch again, this time in a different way. “This is our life, Ignis. You know as well as I do that this is what is expected of us. Would I like to ditch? Go see a movie or something with you? Yes. But if I’m late to training, Cor is going to kick my ass to Sunday and that is not something I would like to experience at the beginning of this break.” 

“Very well.” 

They stared at each other for a few more seconds, then Gladio turned his head away. He started to loosen the grip he had on Ignis’ waist, but then felt him step closer to him - as if he could tell what he was trying to do. Gladio closed his eyes, conflicted by what his thoughts were telling him and what his heart was trying to clue him into. He shut both out, and then the train came to a stop at the Citadel. They stepped away from each other, and walked off the train together, then headed up topside. 

“I’ll see you later, Gladiolus.” Ignis gave him a nod, as Gladio saw both his father and Cor speaking to one another near the elevator bank. “Have a good afternoon.” 

“You too, Specs.” He gave a little wave, then approached his father and his superior. “Good afternoon, sirs.” 

“Gladio.” Clarus looked at him, a proud smile on his face. “Break for you now, yes?” 

“Yes, sir.” He nodded his head, happy that his father remembered today was the last day of school. 

“Good. That means you’ll be here.” His father looked at Cor. “Do you want him to stay here in the barracks with the other Glaives?” 

“It might be good if we did that.” Cor agreed. “Maybe next week, we can try it out? The Glaives aren’t set to go off anywhere in the next few weeks, so there’s no risk of having him not return in time for his school to return.” 

He hated it when they spoke about him as if he wasn’t there. “I want to do whatever you want me to do, sirs.” 

“Then let’s have you start staying here next week. For now, it’ll be business as usual.” Gladio nodded as his father spoke, then watched him get into an elevator heading up. “I’ll see you later. Leonis.” Cor nodded his head as the doors closed. 

“What are we going to work on today, Marshal?” He asked, now that his father was gone. He followed Cor into an elevator heading down, where all the training rooms were. 

“We’ll go over close hand to hand combat today.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

***

Two days later, Gladio was holding his phone, looking at a text message that he’d received from Ignis earlier in the day. “ _My evening is free tonight. Is yours? If it is, we should go somewhere fun. Like we talked about_.” 

He had been staring at the message for the last two hours, and was trying to think of something fun that they could do. He didn’t have any obligations himself, and was afraid if he asked his father, he might find himself suddenly forced to participate in a family bonding experience. “ _Want to go see a movie? Or go play at the arcade?_ ” He typed to Ignis, groaning. It was a dumb suggestion, but he couldn’t think of anything else that might be worthwhile for the two of them. 

“ _If we go to the arcade, we could bump into His Highness. Let’s go see a movie. There’s a new film that opened on Friday that’s playing in thirty at the downtown theater. Can you make it on time?_ ” 

Gladio sat up quickly, and looked down at the clothes he’d chosen to wear for the day. They weren’t the best items, so he would have to make a quick change. “ _Yeah. Meet you out front?_ ” 

“ _See you soon, Gladio. :)_ ” 

He got up from his bed and rummaged around his dresser for a pair of dark blue jeans, and found a more pleasing shirt to wear. Getting his hair fixed up, he took a look in the mirror and decided that was as good as it was going to get. Reaching for his cologne, he put a few dabs on his inner wrists, and then put some on right below his earlobes, keeping the scent subtle. He grabbed a jacket from his closet, and then headed out of his bedroom. 

“Where are you going?” He heard his father ask, as he started to go towards the front door. 

“Gonna go see a movie with Ignis. Is that okay?” Gladio stayed in the foyer, looking at his father who was sitting in his study that was near the front door. 

Clarus nodded his head. “Don’t stay out too late. Don’t forget - tomorrow you start staying in the barracks with the Glaives.” 

“Yes, sir.” He gave a nod of his head, then went to the front door and grabbed his boots. He put them on fast, then headed out into the night, a slight chill in the air. He put his jacket on, and then walked down the street to take the subway into downtown. The ride didn’t take too long - he got to the theater with ten minutes to spare. Ignis was waiting for him outside the theater, looking around, probably looking for him. “Yo, Ignis!” He called out to him, and saw him turn towards his voice. The smile that was on his face made his chest tighten, a warm heat pooling in his stomach as he returned the smile. “Hey.” 

“Hi.” Ignis looked up at him, the two of them looking at each other with a bit of awkwardness. Gladio wasn’t sure if he should hug him, give him a fist bump, or something else. He settled on just standing there, grinning like an idiot because it was really good to see him. “Sorry for the rush. I’ve been wanting to see this, and I know you’ve probably got an early morning tomorrow, as I know I do.” 

“This is perfect.” They walked to the box office together, and he paid for two tickets, handing one to Ignis. “Get my snacks?” 

“I’d be happy to.” 

They had gone to movies before with each other, but for some reason Gladio felt like this was different. He wasn’t sure why - maybe it was because of his embarrassing rejection on Friday at the end of school, or it could have been because of something else. Whatever it was, the air between the two of them felt a bit more electrified than normal. Or, it could be his overactive imagination. After getting their snacks - two medium popcorns, two bottles of water and two different kinds of candy - they went to go find their seats in the theater. 

All throughout the movie, Gladio was conscientious of Ignis and what he was doing. He noticed when he laughed, when he gasped, when he cried. He couldn’t tell anyone what the movie was about because he was so engrossed in watching Ignis enjoy it but it really didn’t matter to him. As the lights came up, he saw Ignis look at him with a smile on his face. “Did you like the movie?” 

“It was good.” He lied, wearing a big smile on his own face. “Never would have thought to watch this kind of movie in the theater.” 

“Sometimes, if the story is good enough, I’ll see them. But you’re right - you could have waited to see it at home.” Ignis stood up, Gladio quick to join him. “I’m happy you liked it.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yes.” The smile on Ignis’ face made his stomach roll pleasantly. “Time to head home?” 

“Unfortunately.” They left the theater together, walking close to one another. Gladio could feel the heat of Ignis’ body close to his as they walked together, the backs of their hands brushing against one another as they headed towards the subway. “If you text me, I might not be able to answer right away this week. I’m going to be spending time with the Glaives for the next couple of weeks.” 

“Really?” He turned and saw a look of sadness pass over Ignis’ features, but then as quick as he saw it, it was gone. “I hope it’s a good learning experience for you.” 

“Thanks, Specs.” Gladio tried not to be too down about it. “I don’t know if I’ll be free on the weekends. Maybe? Or, I might not see you again until before we head back to school.” 

“Ah, I see.” Ignis commented, the two of them standing in the middle of the platform - Ignis heading south while he had to head north. The air shifted around them, the train coming to the north side first. “I suppose this is goodbye, then?” 

Gladio held his arms out and was happy that Ignis stepped forward immediately, allowing him to hug him tight. “Be good, okay?” He murmured into his ear, hugging him hard. “Text me. Please.” 

“I will.” He heard Ignis whisper into his ear as the arms around him held him tight. 

He turned his head and laid a kiss on Ignis’ cheek, then took off as the doors were beginning to close for his train. He turned and looked out the window as it began to move, and saw Ignis was holding his face and staring at him. He held his hand up and then his view became that of a concrete tube. 

Leaning against the pole, Gladio looked up at the roof of the train and laughed. He’d just done something so _stupid_ , but it felt good. He really hoped that Ignis wasn’t going to be mad at him for pulling that stunt. He couldn’t take it if Ignis became upset at him - he _never_ liked it when they had a disagreement. 

When he got home, he looked at his phone and saw he had a text from Ignis. “ _That was different_.” 

“ _Not bad, right? You’re not upset, I hope?_ ” He typed, his head hitting his pillow with a soft _thud_ as he looked at the three dots moving as Ignis typed a response back to him. 

“ _Not bad at all. :) Have a good night, Gladiolus. Maybe I’ll see you around while you’re stuck with the Glaives. ;)_ ” 

“ _I sure hope so, Specs. I could use seeing a friendly face like yours. <3 Night_.” He put his phone on his charger, and stared up at the ceiling. Were they flirting? Was _he_ flirting with Ignis, and was Ignis flirting back? That couldn’t be. That was ridiculous. They couldn’t be doing something like this - not when they both had a duty to fulfill towards one common ground - the Prince of Lucis. 

He sighed, and rolled over onto his side. No, they were just being friends. That was all. It was nothing more. 

At least, that’s what he tried to convince himself of as he drifted off to sleep, remembering how adorable Ignis had looked as they had watched the movie. 

***

Three weeks went by fast. Gladio had left with the Glaives and stayed with them out in Galahd for a week, which had been thrilling and exciting. Each night he’d spent about two hours texting back and forth with Ignis, the two of them going over each other’s days and all of the mundane things before talking about other things - like what their favorite books were, or their favorite albums. 

Gladio was anxious to be back home, as he still had one more week until school was set to start again. He dropped his duffel bag in the foyer, and saw Iris come running down the stairs towards him. “Gladdy!” 

“Hey, Iris!” He was quick to grab her, and swung her around, smiling as she laughed hysterically. “Miss me?” 

“No!” She laughed more as he continued to spin her around, her legs swinging out. “Put me down!” 

“Never!” Gladio spun her around again, and then set her down, smiling as she leaned up against him. “It’s good to see you, Iris.” 

“It’s nice to have you home, Gladio.” 

He looked at his father’s study, but didn’t see him. “Where’s Dad?” 

“With the King. I think they’re at a function? I don’t know. He said he’d be home late.” She grabbed his hands, and pulled him towards the kitchen. “Will you make me something to eat?” 

“I just got home!” 

“Please??” 

Her pathetic begging was something he couldn’t resist. “You know I’m not going to say no.” 

“Yay!” 

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he sent a quick text to Ignis. “ _If you’re not busy, want to come over? It’s just me and Iris - I guess Dad’s out with the King. :-/_ ” 

“ _One day that will be you. ;) And sure. I can be there in thirty?_ ” 

“ _No, one day that will be YOU. I’m not doing that shit with him. No way. And sure. :) See you in thirty_.” He looked over at Iris. “Ignis is coming over.” 

“Oh yay! I like Ignis!” She smiled, and spun around on the stool. “What are you going to make me?” 

“What would you like?” 

“Um….” 

“Iris.” 

“I don’t know! I hadn’t thought that far ahead!” His sister stopped spinning and collapsed on top of the counter. “A grilled cheese sandwich?” 

“That’s easy enough.” 

After being away for three weeks, it felt good to be moving around the kitchen again. Not that he didn’t mind the gruel that they served out in the outlands, but coming home to a fridge full of food was a sight to behold. He made both of them grilled cheese sandwiches with slices of tomatoes and some leftover bacon added for an extra punch. As he was about to bite into his sandwich, the doorbell rang. 

“I’ll go get him!” Iris jumped up, and ran to the front door before he could tell her no. Gladio wiped his hands off and was quick to follow her, but not quick enough before she pulled the door open. “Hi, Ignis! Nice to see you!” 

“Hello, Iris.” Ignis greeted her, bending down to be closer to her level. Gladio felt his heart give a jolt as he saw Ignis again for the first time in two weeks. He’d seen him briefly a few times after they’d seen the movie together, but never long enough for an actual conversation. It was always a quick nod, or a shared smile. But now, Ignis was here. He was here, and they were with each other. “You look lovely this evening.” He kissed the back of her hand. 

Her giggle made him roll his eyes. “Specs, you’re going to give her a complex.” He put his arm around his sister’s shoulders and turned her back towards the kitchen. “Go finish your food.” 

“I will!” She laughed and took off, leaving the two of them alone in the foyer. 

He pushed some of his hair back as he looked at Ignis, feeling unbelievably nervous. “H-Hey.” 

“Hi.” Ignis took a step towards him, and Gladio responded by holding his arms up and then felt him slip into his embrace. He held him close, forgetting how good it felt to hug him. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too.” Gladio replied, keeping his arms wrapped around Ignis. He buried his face against Ignis’ neck, holding him tight as he took a deep breath, inhaling the soap and cologne mixture on Ignis’ skin. “I missed you a lot.” 

“GLADDY. CAN I HAVE ICE CREAM??” 

Groaning, he pulled away from Ignis, who he could see had a slight blush on his cheeks. “Did you finish your food?” 

“I did!” 

He looked at Ignis. “I gotta go finish my own food and make sure she’s not lying. You hungry?” 

“No, I already ate. But I could eat some ice cream too.” The smirk on his lips brought some heat to Gladio’s body that he wasn’t prepared to feel. “I mean, if there’s enough.” 

“Oh, there’s enough.” He walked back towards the kitchen, and saw that Iris’ plate was indeed empty. “Did you put some of your stuff onto my plate??” He looked at his plate, and while it looked the same as it had when he left to go answer the door, he knew his sister was capable of doing something like that. 

“No! I ate it all.” Iris shook her head. “May I please have some ice cream?” 

“You may.” Gladio turned to Ignis. “Would you mind doing the honors, so I can finish my dinner?” 

“Of course.” Ignis went to the freezer, and then listed off the options to Iris. “You can pick strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, or mint chocolate.” 

“Mint chocolate!” 

“That was going to be my pick as well.” Pulling the carton from the freezer, Gladio pointed to the cupboard where Ignis would find the ice cream bowls. “Gladio? Would you care for some as well?” 

“No, I’m okay.” He shook his head. 

The front door opened just as Ignis and Iris were putting their spoons into their desserts. “Hello?” Clarus’ voice came through loud and clear. “Is anyone awake?” 

“In here, Daddy!” Iris called out. 

Gladio set his empty plate in the sink as he saw his father walk into the kitchen, looking a little rosy on his cheeks. “Hello, Ignis. Nice of you to be here.” 

“Good evening, sir.” Ignis bowed his head. “Gladio invited me over.” 

“Did he? Good.” Clarus walked over to where he was standing. “And? How’d it go? You survived.” 

“I did, sir.” 

“We expect you back at the Citadel on Wednesday.” 

“Really??” That news surprised him. He for sure thought he was going to have to go back there tomorrow. “Thank you, sir.” 

“Everyone deserves a little time off.” Clarus turned to Ignis. “If you would like to take the same time off? I can see that it happens. You both have worked hard these last few weeks.” 

“It’s alright, sir. I’m more than happy to help the Prince out in any way that is necessary.” Ignis shook his head. 

He looked at his father, and saw him shake his head. “No, Ignis. I’m going to insist you take the time off. You two should remember that you’re sixteen and seventeen. You have the rest of your lives to worry about Noctis. Worry about yourselves first. Live your lives.” 

“Dad.” Gladio couldn’t believe that his father was saying such a thing to the both of them. 

“You heard me.” Clarus turned to look at Iris. “Come on. You can finish your ice cream in your bedroom.” 

“But I was having fun with them!” She complained, but picked up her bowl and walked with Clarus out of the kitchen. “Night, Gladdy! Night, Ignis!” 

“Night, Iris.” Both Gladio and Ignis replied in unison to her. 

They stood around, both looking down at their feet. Ignis had finished his ice cream, and Gladio - well, he had nothing to occupy his hands with. “Should I go?” Ignis asked, his voice abnormally quiet. 

“No.” He shook his head. He didn’t want Ignis to go - he wanted him to stay with him. He wanted to stay up all night, just like they had been doing the last few nights. Only this time, there was no phone to hide behind. “Come upstairs with me?” 

“I’d like that.”

They walked quietly up the stairs, and tiptoed past Iris’ room, where he could hear his father reading her a bedtime story. He opened his bedroom door for Ignis, and then followed him in, closing the door with a quiet _click_. Locking the door, he turned back towards the room and saw Ignis had taken a seat on the edge of the bed. 

“Can you believe my father basically told us we don’t have to work for the next two days?” He sat down next to him, still trying to work out why his father had done such a thing. “He’s always telling me how hard I have to work, and how I always need to make sure I’m ready for whatever the Prince is going to need.” 

“Maybe he wants to give us a break.” Ignis shrugged as they both laid back on the bed, their legs dangling off the side. “I’m not sure what I should do with this time off.” 

“Bake some pastries?” He knew that Ignis had been baking a lot recently, as the Prince kept asking for one specific recipe. He’d been telling him about it during their text conversations late into the night. “Or are you tired of that?” 

“Tired.” Gladio turned over onto his side and saw that Ignis was staying on his back, but his eyes were closed. “Maybe I’ll just sleep the days away.” 

“That wouldn’t be a bad idea.” Gladio had fantasized about sleeping all day, and then staying up all night, often. But he never got the opportunity to do that. “Iris is heading back to school tomorrow, so I might be stuck on big brother duty, otherwise I’d say let’s go to an amusement park. Somewhere fun.” He always thought about that afternoon, and how Ignis had said he wished they could do something spontaneous. 

“We’ll see.” Ignis hummed a little, and gave a small nod of his head. “It’s late. I should probably get going.” 

He still wasn’t ready to be apart from him. Gladio moved closer to where Ignis’ body was, and draped his left arm over Ignis’ stomach. “Stay.” He spoke softly, afraid that if he spoke any louder that he might chicken out on what he wanted to do. “Sleep here tonight. With me.” 

“Do you mean it?” He felt Ignis shift under his arm, drawing his attention up to his face. He saw that Ignis’ eyes were open now, and staring down at him. “Will you get in trouble?” 

“My father won’t know.” He kept his arm against Ignis’ lower stomach, and brought his other arm to rest near his head, his elbow pushing into the mattress as he stared down into Ignis’ eyes. “Something’s changed, hasn’t it?” 

“You kissed me.” 

“Is that what changed?” Gladio asked, as he brought his head down closer to Ignis’. “No, it was before that.” He carefully brushed his lips back and forth over Ignis’, testing the water to see how he would respond. A soft whimper left his mouth, which made Gladio’s body respond in a possessive manner. 

Ignis followed his lead, and moved his lips back and forth experimentally against Gladio’s lips. “We really shouldn’t…” 

“I’ll stop….” He would, even though it might physically kill him to do so. “I don’t want you to be upset with me, for changing our lives and our destinies…” 

“Our duties define who we are, what we’re supposed to be.” The words were spoken against his lips, as Gladio let the tip of his tongue brush against Ignis’ in a teasing manner. “G-Gladio….” 

“I know.” He felt Ignis put his arm around his neck, and allowed him to pull him down towards him, their lips coming together for a proper kiss this time. He moaned low, parting his lips as he felt Ignis do the same, their tongues coming together with a soft collide that brought pitched moans out of both of them. It felt so good to be kissing him in a way that he had only ever fantasized about. “You’re such a good kisser…” He murmured against Ignis’ lips, keeping his body in close proximity of his, his knee now slotted between Ignis’ thighs. 

“K-Kiss me more…” 

Just like he knew he would never refuse Iris’ requests, he knew that he would always do the same for anything Ignis would ask of him. He brought his lips back to his, and began to kiss him long and hard, his chest now pushed right up against Ignis’, holding him down by the weight of his body but he could feel that Ignis liked it - and frankly, so did he. It felt _good_ to finally explore these perverse acts that he’d only fantasized about before. 

A string of spit kept them connected as he pulled his mouth away to take some necessary deep breaths. “Y-You’ll spend the night, won’t you?” He asked, as he started to kiss along the length of Ignis’ jawline. “We don’t have to do anything. I don’t want you to think that that’s what I want…” 

“I don’t.” Ignis turned his head, and Gladio felt him pulling his face back up towards his, their lips meeting for another long, sultry kiss. “Yes, I want to spend the night. I know - no pressure.” 

“Good.” 

They quickly got up from the bed together, and as they took off all of their clothes except for their underwear, they shared kiss after kiss. Under the blankets, Gladio could feel Ignis trembling slightly. He was going to ask what it was about, but then Ignis brought his lips back to his and he soon forgot about it. They made out for a good half hour, and then rested their heads together as they took deep breaths. 

Gladio started to feel himself drift to sleep, the comfort of Ignis in his arms helping to bring him there a lot quicker than he’d been falling asleep. “I love you.” Ignis whispered softly into his ear, Gladio’s heart stopping in his chest as he replayed the confession in his head. 

His arm tightened its hold of Ignis against his body. “I love you too.” It came out without any hindrance, the words rolling off of his tongue as easy as it would be to say Ignis’ name out loud. 

“That makes me happy.” He looked down and saw Ignis was looking up at him, and so he brought his lips back down to his and kissed him softly. “Good night, Gladiolus.” 

“Good night, sweetheart.” The endearment caught himself by surprise, but he felt Ignis snuggle up closer to him once it was spoken out loud. 

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep with his chest feeling marginally full after their confessions to one another. 

***

The following day they spent lying around in Gladio’s bedroom doing absolutely nothing. Gladio snuck downstairs after his sister had been taken to school - he was glad his father hadn’t woken him up, but he knew he would probably have to take her tomorrow - and grabbed some coffee for the two of them and found something easy to make for breakfast. 

Carrying a tray into the room, he saw Ignis was sitting up in his bed, his back resting against the wall as he looked at his phone. Gladio had never seen him look more beautiful in his life - the bed hair that was going every which way, his glasses sliding halfway down his nose. And the fact that he was in _his_ bed made it even nicer. “Good morning.” He greeted Ignis, who looked up from his phone and gave him one of the most beautiful smiles. “I’ve brought coffee and formerly frozen waffles.” 

“That sounds perfect.” Ignis set his phone down as Gladio brought the tray over to the bed. “Is anyone home?” 

“No. I guess my dad took Iris to school.” He put the tray down, and handed Ignis his coffee before taking his own. “He’s being extra nice and it’s a little weird.” 

“Maybe he’s treating you more like an adult now. You’re turning eighteen soon.” Ignis reminded him, as they both took their first sip of the caffeinated beverage. “Mmm. Thank you for making it strong.” 

“I didn’t. It’s how my father drinks it, but you’re welcome.” He chuckled as he pushed a plate of waffles over to him. “Eat up.” 

“What should we do today with our newfound freedom?” Ignis took a bite, as he took a bite of his own. “I had an email on my phone from the King that told everyone I was out for the next two days.” 

“Crazy, isn’t it?” Gladio took another bite and saw Ignis nod his head in agreement. “I think we should stay in bed all day. Or, we could go see another movie?” 

“I like the idea of staying in bed all day.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Mind if I take a quick shower after we eat? I wasn’t expecting to sleep over last night.” 

The question was an innocent one, but it got Gladio’s heart rate going up as he thought about Ignis taking a shower in his bathroom. “Sure, Specs. You can borrow some clothes too, if you want. They’ll be a little big.” 

“If you wouldn’t mind.” 

Again, the offer was an innocent one, but picturing Ignis wearing one of his shirts was doing things to his body that had no business being interested right now. Not during breakfast. “Yeah, it’s no problem.” 

“Thank you, Gladiolus.” A sticky kiss touched his cheek as Ignis showed his appreciation, his lips covered in syrup. 

His cheek grew warm as he gave a sharp nod of his head. He resumed eating, trying not to think about what he was going to do while Ignis was in the shower. Maybe he could start a load of laundry, which he’d been neglecting to do for too long. They finished their breakfast in comfortable silence, and then he watched as Ignis put the empty plates and mugs back on the tray and carried them out of the bedroom, still clad in only his underwear. 

When he came back in, he looked over at Gladio. “I’m going to go shower now.” 

“Alright, Ignis.” 

“Care to join me?” 

Gladio’s mouth dropped open as he saw a smirk on Ignis’ lips. He knew he was going to be in serious trouble if he took him up on the offer. “D-Do you want me to be in there with you?” 

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.” 

He got up from the bed and followed him into the bathroom, his cock already painfully stiff as his mind realized he was going to see Ignis completely naked. He was trying to calm himself down, thankful that his shower was big enough for the both of them to be standing in there a few feet apart comfortably. Turning on the water, he quickly stripped out of his boxer briefs and got into the shower stall, keeping the front of his body turned away from Ignis. 

“Why are you standing like that?” Ignis asked, as he ducked his head under the spray of water. 

“Because.” He kept his body turned, not wanting for Ignis to see how aroused he was right now. He was trying to be a gentleman and not look at his naked body, but it was proving to be a very difficult endeavor. 

“If it’s because you’re afraid I’ll see your erection, I wouldn’t be too worried about that. I am in the same predicament.” 

Gladio’s head snapped to the side as he saw Ignis looking at him, that smirk back on his lips. He turned the rest of his body so that Ignis could see his own hard arousal, if he was about to look at him. He heard him groan softly and saw him lick his lips as his own eyes traveled down the length of Ignis’ well toned body. His eyes stopped where his cock was, and took a deep breath as he ogled him for the first time. 

“You’re gorgeous, sweetheart.” He commented, stepping closer to Ignis’ body with his hand stretched out. He saw Ignis give a small nod of his head, and then was quick to put his hand around his cock. Ignis released a salacious moan, his own throat becoming dry as he made a loose fist around him. “Touch me too…” 

Lithe fingers wrapped around his cock in a way that felt almost perfect to Gladio, his breath catching in his throat as Ignis fondled him for the first time. It was a heady experience - his own breath becoming more and more labored as they both slowly began to move their hands experimentally on each other’s bodies. “I always wanted to know what you would look like.” Ignis’ lips touched his neck, Gladio moaning low as he pushed against his water slicked hand, his own hand moving with slow, lazy strokes. 

“Do you like it?” His voice was low - it was so low that he almost didn’t recognize it. He guided Ignis to be against the shower wall, the two of them now working each other’s cocks in earnest. “Gods, sweetheart…” He moaned the endearment as he felt his cock starting to get painfully hard as he neared an orgasm. 

“Very much so, Gladiolus…” Ignis’ lips returned to his neck, more kisses touching his skin. “Call me that again…” 

“S-Sweetheart…” He moaned for Ignis as he was brought to an orgasm, his hot seed spilling from the tip of his cock, dripping down to the wet floor below. He kept a firm hand around Ignis and felt him beginning to throb against the palm of his hand. Liquid head spread over his own fingers as he felt Ignis moan against the side of his neck, the noise one he committed to memory as it was a sound he was going to replay in his mind for the rest of his life. “Yes, Ignis…” A deeper moan left his throat as he felt him tremble against his body. 

They stood under the spray of the shower, both taking a few moments to breathe. Lowering his head, he found Ignis’ lips and kissed him softly, the kiss starting off slow but then slowly began to build steam as their tongues rubbed back and forth against each other with needy touches. He pulled back, then shook his head as he brought his forehead to Ignis’. 

“We should get out of the shower.” He murmured, wondering if Ignis was going to want to keep the momentum going, or if he wanted to pump the brakes. He wasn’t sure what he wanted - both options sounded good to him. “Let’s go for a walk?” 

“That sounds perfect.” 

Finishing up in the shower, Gladio got out first and grabbed an extra towel for Ignis, then proceeded to dry his own body off. Tucking the towel around his waist, he went into his bedroom and found a shirt that would hopefully not be too large on Ignis, and then slipped a clean pair of boxer briefs onto his body, dropping the towel onto the floor. 

“Here.” He handed the shirt to Ignis, who was already back in his underwear, Gladio’s arousal returning as he admired his body. “Hopefully this works.” 

“Thank you.” Ignis took the garment, and put it over his head. It was a tiny bit baggy, but it looked almost natural. Gladio had to bite back a moan as he stared at him, shaking his head a little as Ignis looked at him in the reflection of the mirror. “Do you not like it?” 

“I love it.” He stood behind him, and put his arms around him. “Just like I love you.” 

The blush that appeared on Ignis’ face made him hold him a little tighter. “I love you too.” The words were spoken quietly, but said with an equal amount of affection in them. Gladio hugged him a little tighter, and then let go. 

A walk around the block turned into a walk around several blocks, the two of them enjoying the sunshine. By the time they made it back to Gladio’s house, Iris was back home and was thoroughly excited to see Ignis was there. They helped her with her homework, then started to play a game together that ran so long his father returned home from the Citadel before they were finished. 

“Ignis - you’re still here.” Clarus greeted them, as the three of them stared at the game. “Will you be staying for dinner?” 

“If that’s alright, sir?” Ignis glanced up. “Did I miss anything important today?” 

He knew that Ignis worked close with his father, a tiny part of him a little jealous that he got to spend so much time with him, but he knew that that was the way it had to be. “Nothing that can’t be discussed when you return on Wednesday. Will you be staying with us until then?” 

“I had thought about it.” 

“You are always welcome under our roof.” Clarus put a hand on Gladio’s shoulder, and gave it a firm squeeze. “I like seeing you with my son. You two need each other, as it’s going to be a difficult road later.” 

Gladio looked up at his father and was surprised by the look he saw on his face. Ignis wasn’t looking, so he didn’t see it, but he knew that his father was trying to tell them something without directly saying it. “As long as we have each other, sir.” 

“Quite right.” Clarus gave his shoulder another squeeze, then dropped it. “What do you say we order out tonight?” 

“Can we have pizza?” Iris asked, as she moved her piece across the board. “Please?” 

“We can.” His father started to walk out of the room. “You three have fun. I’ll order the pizza right now.” 

After eating a full pizza each, Gladio and Ignis went back upstairs to his bedroom and laid down on the bed, Ignis gravitating towards his body. He put his arms around him, feeling pleasant. “Do you think my old man knows about us?” He asked, as he started to push his fingers carefully through Ignis’ hair. 

“I’m not sure. I think he wants us to be happy. Your father is an odd man.” 

“You’re telling me.” 

They fell into a light doze, and then woke up a little after midnight. Taking off their clothes but leaving their underwear on, they slipped under the covers and held each other close, sharing lazy kisses that held no urgency in them. It felt good to just be with Ignis like this that he didn’t really want anything else, didn’t _need_ anything else. 

The rest of their week off flew by way too fast. Ignis had gone home on Tuesday to get some clothes, and then had spent the rest of the week at the Amicitia estate. They traveled to the Citadel together on Wednesday, Gladio somewhat miserable when they had to part from one another. But that night they’d reunited at the end of the work day and had a nice cuddle session in his bedroom before making dinner together. Clarus hadn’t seemed to mind Ignis’ constant presence, and sometimes at dinner the talk would slip to work which Gladio didn’t mind at all. It was nice to hear both Ignis and his father speak so frankly with each other in a way he wasn’t used to hearing. 

On the night before they were to head back to school, Gladio looked at Ignis as they were getting ready for bed, his heart pounding hard in his chest. Ignis looked back at him, the two sharing an intense look as they both started to get undressed. This time, they took their underwear off, knowing full well what it meant, Gladio’s heart racing as they got under the covers together, this time completely naked. 

Grabbing his bottle of lube, he carefully worked Ignis’ body open, knowing he needed to get him somewhat ready to receive him. They kissed each other with hard, desperate kisses as they both were becoming more and more riled up as they knew their relationship was about to change again. 

He pulled his fingers out of Ignis’ body, then got settled between his legs. Ignis’ face was flushed, his eyes half-lidded as he stared down at him. “You good, sweetheart…?” He asked, as he got the tip of his cock pushed right up against his spread entrance. “Do you want me to stop…?” 

“Don’t you dare…” Ignis moaned as he got the tip of his cock pushed into his body. “O-Oh….G-Gladio….” 

More of his cock slipped into Ignis’ body, not at all wanting to move too fast as he wanted Ignis to enjoy this. He kissed his lips softly as he kept inching more of his cock into his body. “Yes, baby….” His voice was thick with desire, as he bottomed out inside of him. He moaned low as he felt Ignis’ inner walls clamp down around him, the deep moans leaving Ignis’ mouth letting him know he was feeling as good as he was, if not better. 

“Move…” 

The breathless command was one he obeyed without hesitation. Rolling his hips, he began to slide his cock in and out of Ignis’ body, the gentle rocking motion creating a dizzying effect to his body. He became consumed by the lust and passion that they shared with one another, years of friendship becoming something more special as they solidified this moment through the act of sex. It was over before it began, both coming incredibly fast, but that didn’t stop either of them from doing it again. And again. And again. 

Ignis was balanced on top of him, Gladio staring up at him as the moonlight streamed in through his bedroom window, presenting Ignis’ beautiful naked body to him as he rode his cock for the fourth time that night. “Gods, it feels so good…” Ignis’ fingers splayed across his chest, as he dropped himself up and down on his cock. “L-Love….you…” 

“Love you too, sweetheart…” He gripped onto his hips and helped him fuck himself good on his cock. “So very much…” 

“S-So much…” 

They both came again, bodies shaking through their shared orgasm. He got Ignis cleaned up, then took care of his own body before they laid together, limbs entangled as they stayed in a blissful haze of love and lust. 

“I’m going to miss sleeping here.” Ignis commented a little while later, Gladio resting his head on top of Ignis’. “Will you miss me?”    


“I already miss you.” He returned, lowering his head to kiss Ignis softly on the lips. “We’ll make do with what we have.” 

“Right.” Another kiss touched his lips. “I love you, Gladiolus.” 

“I love you too, Ignis.” He smiled, then put his arms around him and held him close, savoring this new aspect to their relationship. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, keeping Ignis close to his body for the duration of the night. 

*** 

~ _Six Years Later_ ~ 

“Come on, it’s time to get moving.” Gladio shook the Prince’s shoulder, as he entered their suite at the Galdin Quay hotel. “You know Ignis is going to be back soon.” He shook Noctis’ shoulder again, grinning as he saw the annoyed look on the Prince’s face. 

“Leave me alone.” Noctis pushed his hand away, but was soon sitting up and yawning. “What time is it?” 

“Early.” Prompto joined them, coming in from the bathroom. “Gladdy’s right - it’s time to get up.” 

“Not you too.” 

“Sorry!” 

They had been on the road for about a week now, and had decided to stay the night at the hotel after making bank on one of their hunts. Gladio had spent the night with Ignis in a bed, something that they hadn’t done since they’d left Insomnia on this trip to get Noctis to Altissia. The sex they had had was as good as it ever was, the two of them deciding that it would be best to only engage in this kind of behavior when they could afford to spend the night at a hotel. It was almost impossible to do it in a tent with both Prompto and Noctis close by, so that didn’t bother him in the slightest. 

Since there were no boats running currently, they had decided to stay the night to wait it out and see if there would be some in the morning. It had been a really good night, and this morning was proving to be the same. The three of them went to the living room area of the suite, Gladio going to grab some coffee when the door opened and Ignis came in looking like he was going to be sick. 

“Ignis?” He asked, setting the pot of coffee down as he tried to get a read on his lover. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s in all the papers.” He held up the newsprint, which he took from his hand. 

His eyes widened as he saw the headline. He kept reading, not believing what he was seeing. There was no way that Insomnia could have fallen into the hands of the Nifls. There was no way that the King was dead. He heard Prompto read the headline, and then heard Noctis say something. The sounds of his friends' voices faded to a low hum as he kept reading, his stomach twisting into knots as he read that the King was dead out loud to the room, his own heart shattering into pieces as he knew what this meant. 

“No, wait, hold on…” Noctis’ voice shook as he spoke. 

He heard Ignis speaking to Noctis, but couldn’t tell you what was being said as he continued to read the rest of the article. It couldn’t be true - if the King was dead, then that meant that his father was also gone. 

“What else do we know?” He turned to look at Ignis, going right into professional mode. There was no time to grieve right now - they had to act, and they had to act fast. If this was as serious as it sounded, they weren’t safe here. 

They decided to head back to Insomnia to see if all the reports were true. Finding the entrance to Insomnia blocked by the Imperial Army did not bring about comfort to anyone in the Regalia, but they found another way to head to a look out point. Fighting the Niflheim army of MTs, Gladio put to use his training of taking care of both the Prince and his friends. By the time they’d gotten to the lookout, it was apparent that the newspapers had not lied at all. 

A radio broadcast confirmed their fears, and then heard that the world assumed that Noctis was amongst the dead - that was a small silver lining in an otherwise awful situation. He held the phone to his ear and dialed his sister’s number, praying that she answered the phone. 

“Gladio!” Iris’ voice came through loud and clear, his heart swelling in his chest as his eyes grew misty. “You’re alive!” 

“I could say the same for you.” He tried not to let her know he was crying, but really - just knowing that she was safe made him feel better. “Where are you?” 

“With Monica. We’re heading to Lestallum.” 

“Good. Stay with her. We’ll meet up with you soon.” 

“Noctis is okay, isn’t he?” 

“He is.” 

“And Ignis?” 

“He’s alright, Iris. Let me know when you get to Lestallum. Love you. Remember your training.” He was glad that his father had insisted she learn some basics because it now seemed that she might have to implement them in order to stay alive. “Dad….”

“Is gone, isn’t he?” 

It broke his heart that his sister had to deal with this without him around. “He did what was necessary.” 

“Please don’t die, Gladdy.” 

Tears sprang to his eyes as he stared off into the distance. “I won’t. You don’t either, you hear me? Stick close to Monica, and I’m sure Cor will join you soon. I mean it, Iris.” 

“I will. Be careful, Gladio!” 

“I will. I love you.” He hung up, and looked over at Noctis, who was on the phone with the Marshal. 

“What did he say?” Ignis asked, as Noctis ended the phone call. 

“He’s going to Hammerhead.” 

“And the King?” Gladio asked, afraid of getting the confirmation. But if anyone was going to tell them the truth, it would be Cor. He looked at Noctis, who wouldn’t look at him. No answer came, but one wasn’t needed. He knew it was true. 

The King, and by proximation his father as well, were dead. 

***

They got two rooms at the Three Z’s motel in Longwythe, deciding to take the night to collect themselves before meeting with Cor in Hammerhead. Gladio went into the room with Ignis, leaving Noctis with Prompto. They went through the motions of getting undressed, and then got under the covers together. The full weight of what had happened since the morning finally hit Gladio, and he began to cry. 

Ignis put his arms around his body, holding him close as he sobbed against his neck, clinging tight to his lover. He never thought that this would happen - he knew the treaty was a gamble, but he never thought that they would murder the King. His father - his father was dead, and he was never going to see what he was capable of doing, and that _hurt_. 

“You know that your father did what he was supposed to do.” The words offered little comfort to him, but he clung to Ignis all the same as he let his lover try and help him. “He was a brave man. He knew that this was a possibility.” 

He sniffled, shaking his head. “D-Does this mean that I’m going to have to do the same?” He knew it was selfish of him to ask, because of _course_ that’s what it meant. He had sworn to protect Noctis, be his Shield in order to keep him safe and out of harm’s way. 

“Yes.” 

“Can we go somewhere fun?” He whispered, hating that he was having a moment of weakness. He didn’t like the idea that his father was gone, that his sister was making her way across a continent she wasn’t all that familiar with, and that he was now stuck as the true Shield to the King. 

It was a comment that Ignis had said to him years ago, when he’d been aware of what their lives were going to be like. But now that that reality was here, staring him right in the face, it wasn’t something he was interested in doing at all. “You know we have obligations.” Ignis repeated his own words back to him, as a soft kiss touched his cheek. “We’ll get through this, Gladio.” 

“Everything is going to be different now.” Gladio felt his soul breaking. “Nothing is ever going to be the same, Ignis.” 

“You’re right. But, we have each other. Remember that.” 

Lips touched his with a hesitant kiss. Gladio returned it full force, grasping onto Ignis as he moved them on the bed, getting himself settled between his legs. He felt Ignis moan against his lips as he hastily threw some lube onto his cock, and then pushed right up against his lover’s loosened entrance, the sex they’d had much earlier in the day keeping him open for him. As soon as they were connected in a way that Gladio knew would never change, a little bit of his sanity returned, his hips moving in a slow, methodical way as he listened to Ignis moan and gasp for him. It was exactly what he needed to recenter himself, the devastation of their lives now starting a new chapter was something he could ignore for a little while longer as he brought his lover to an orgasm. This was all he really needed - the comfort and love of Ignis to help him get through the most difficult times. 

After two rounds of sex, they laid together, Ignis’ fingers gently stroking his chest. “I’m going to miss Clarus.” Ignis whispered, Gladio holding him just a little tighter at the mention of his father. “He was a good man.” 

“He loved you.” Tears had returned to his eyes, and slowly began to fall down his cheeks. “He was happy that you made me happy.” 

“You make me feel the same.” They looked at each other, both sharing watery smiles with one another as they cried for his father. “We’ll be okay, Gladiolus. We have to stay strong for Noctis. He needs us. This is what we’ve been preparing for.” 

“I know.” His voice was gruff, nodding his head. “But, my offer still stands. We could always go somewhere fun.” 

“We should have done that years ago.” 

“I think you’re right.” 

They fell silent, holding each other in the darkness. He knew that the road ahead was going to be very difficult, to the point where he might have to put his own life on the line. If that’s what it took to protect the Prince, then he was going to have to do it. Ignis as right - this was what they had been preparing for. But for tonight - he would mourn the passing of both the King and his father, and in the morning he would begin his new life. The halcyon days were now a distant memory, one that he was going to look back on with fondness while he trudged through this new reality. Ignis was right - as long as they had each other, they would be okay. 


End file.
